An unimpeachable source within the Western Region leadership of the ruling New Patriotic Party has suggested to 3news.com that there could be yet another change to the list of persons who have qualified to contest in the party’s upcoming parliamentary primaries.
The source explained there is huge pressure on the Parliamentary Elections Appeals Committee of the party to reinstate some aspirants who were disqualified by the F.F Anto Vetting Committee for the Western Region.
This attempt, our source indicated has caused a worrying division among the regional executives as both sides have taken entrenched positions.
Already the list of names to contest the parliamentary primaries received a jolt less than 24 hours after the regional chairman of the party had pre-empted the names on it.
The source indicated that “there is a grand scheme to reinstate the earlier disqualified aspirant for the Effia Constituency and Senior Lecturer at the Takoradi Technical University Dr. Adjoa Kwegyirba Aggrey.
In Tarkwa, the source added there are similar attempts to disqualify Chief Executive Officer of NGO Joy Foundation Joy Jocelyn Andoh and make the incumbent George Mireku Duker run the primary unopposed.
“Clearly, these faceless persons behind these unhealthy machinations do not have the interest of the party at heart. How will we be able to explain these changes, when the work that went into the vetting here in the region is unmatched. My, brother, people’s reputation they have built carefully for years will just be punctured just like that should this happens”, the source fumed
Effia
A total of 19 card bearing members of the New Patriotic Party in the Effia Constituency petitioned the F.F Anto Vetting Committee to disqualify Dr. Adjoa Kwegyirba Aggrey based on four reasons.
The petitioners argued that Dr. Adjoa Kwegyirba Aggrey has never been a resident of the Effia Constituency as required under Article 94 of the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.
“She currently resides in the Kwesimentsim Constituency at House Number B80, Anaji Estate, Dr. Linda Van Otoo Street, CK Mann area where she has stayed for about two years from 2018 to date”, the petition read.
The petitioners attached a letter from the Effia Kwesimentsim Municipal Assembly signed by its Chief Executive Kojo Acquah where it states unequivocally that “the residential address No. B80 Anaji Estate is in the Kwesimentsim Constituency and not Effia”.
They argued further that before Dr. Kwegyirba Aggrey came to stay at her present location “she was a resident for over four years in West Fijai (BU) in the Essikado – Ketan Constituency from 2013 to 2018 in House Number, Plot 114 BU Ridge with David Quayson as her landlord”.
“That, Dr. Adjoa Kwegyirba Aggrey’s nomination to contest the Effia Constituency seat breaches Chapter 10, Article 94(b) of the Constitution of the Republic which stipulates that, a person does not qualify to be a Member of Parliament unless “he is a resident in the constituency for which he stands as a candidate for election to Parliament or has resided there for a total period of not less than 5 years out of the ten years immediately preceding the election for which he stands, or he hails from that constituency”.
The petitioners maintained that though Dr. Adwoa Kwegyirba Aggrey lectures at Takoradi Technical University (TTU) and is currently a registered voter in Effia “the country’s constitution requires a “resident status” as opposed to “ordinarily resident”.
The source told 3news.com that it is surprising that in “the face of this unquestionable evidence, there are still attempts to make her contest”.
“Well, from the way things are unfolding, Effia will end up finally in Court for the Court to decide whether or not the woman qualifies to contest the Effia seat”, our source gave this as a reply to an interested party in the Effia primary.
Tarkwa
When the Chief Executive Officer of the NGO Joy Jocelyn Andoh appeared before the F.F. Anto Vetting Committee she had to answer to 11 petitions.
Largely, they bothered on claims that she is not known by the Tarkwa Nsuaem New Patriotic Party.
Already over 300 polling station executives on Thursday March 12, 2020 took to the streets of Tarkwa to jubilate over her inclusion on the parliamentary aspirants list.
“So, what are we going to tell all these people. This will be bad for us in elections 2020”, the source said.
As at the time the procession was ongoing, our source indicated that a team from Tarkwa Nsuaem were in Accra to “fight against the inclusion of Joy”.
By Eric Yaw Adjei|3news.com |Ghana